ACARA Years 3-6

Story·Sophie Tottman, age 12 — A village girl attends a prestigious Masked Ball disguised as her tutor's aunt, meeting famous scientists and artists who share their knowledge while hidden behind elaborate masks.

Story·Julia Clow and Olivia Smit, age 12 — A human baby raised by wolves discovers her true identity when hunters threaten her wolf family, ultimately choosing to live with humans while maintaining her wolf bonds.

Story·Jacob E. Gerszten, age 11 — An 11-year-old's educational vacation to Tanzania introduces him to Maasai guide Simon, local customs, and the tiny dik-dik antelope, challenging his American perspective.

Poetry·Isabel Sutter, age 13 — A girl climbs her backyard oak tree and finds a moment of transcendent joy where all worries dissolve into the beauty of sky and wind.

Story·Nicky Cannon, age 12 — A boy races from car to ocean, feeling invincible in the waves until his mother calls him back to ordinary life at nightfall.

Poetry·Mara Schiffhauer, age 12 — A plant watches a baby being celebrated for growing, then remembers its own unwitnessed growth from seed to tree, reaching skyward with equal pride.

Story·Emma T. Capps, age 12 — A girl discovers her late grandfather's unfinished charcoal drawing of a court jester and secretly completes it in watercolor, connecting with him through art across time.

Story·Anna J. Mickle, age 12 — A girl finds comfort in Green Lake, moving from cliff to water to cabin, observing nature's details and remembering boat rides with her brother.

Story·Emi Cohen, age 10 — A young writer struggles with creative block, trying every genre and filling candy wrappers with unfinished stories, until she discovers the solution is to write about her own experience.

Story·Danny Singer, age 12 — A six-year-old's dinner at Atlantic Grill for his father's 41st birthday becomes unforgettable when the family encounters Giants player Tiki Barber, leading to a cherished autographed photo.